It was a familiar face on top of the podium at the end of the inaugural Red Bull Los Andes race in Chile last weekend as Frenchman Cyril Despres motored home in first place.
The current Enduro World Champion shot over every obstacle in his path on the challenging circuit to record a time of 1h 36m 43s to hold off strong competition from Chilean riders Nicolas Urrutia (1h 41m 36s) and Chaleco Lopez (1h 41m 48s).
At an ear-popping 2,600m above sea level in the heart of the Andes mountain range, over 100 riders tore away from the starting line at midday on Saturday November 28. Being such an unusual challenge, it was fitting that the riders did not receive their starting instructions from any regular pistol. Instead, they were given their instruction to set off by a specially-co-ordinated fly-by from Halcones Flying Squadron.
At the sight of the planes, the entire field ploughed head-on into their first obstacle, which came in the shape of a 50m drop just a quarter of a kilometre from the starting line. This first booby-trap unseated over half the field, but they were soon back on their bikes to face the remainder of the course.
'Cyril and I are great friends and we have enjoyed many duels like the one we had today' – Chaleco Lopez
Over 5,000 spectators made their way out to the usually sleepy ski resort of Los Farellones to witness the spectacle of a race which now takes its place among the toughest Enduro rides in the world.
“Mental strength is a critical factor for success in a competition as technical and demanding as this,” said Ignacio Fernandez, President of the Chilean National Confederation of Enduro. “Another key factor is the altitude of Los Andes, which has an undeniable effect on both the rider and the machine.”
The race was contested in two 30km laps over steep climbs, sharp drops, loose gravel, mud and river crossings, as well as the unforgiving granite of the Andes. If riders thought the second lap of the race would be any easier than the first after removing the surprise element, they were mistaken, as the midday sun and thin air increased the challenge as the race wore on.
Marcelo Maragni/Red Bull Photofiles
“The first lap was tough, but the second one was even tougher. We all felt the heat, the altitude and the glare of the sun, which grew the longer the race went on,” said second-placed Urrutia.
Lopez, the darling of Chilean Enduro, gave the fans a real spectacle as he challenged eventual race winner Despres for pole position.
“Cyril and I are great friends and we have enjoyed many duels like the one we had today. Hopefully, in the future, it will be me who finishes in front,” Lopez commented.
At one point during the race, the camaraderie which exists between the riders was evident. Despres stopped to check if Lopez was OK after the Chilean went over the handlebars during a particularly tough muddy section of the circuit.
As well as Despres, Urrutia and Lopez taking the top spots in the Super Expert category, there were further prizes on offer to every level of competitor. Manuel Beltran took first place in the Expert category as his time of 2h 10m 16s put him ahead of Carlos Marsh and Gonzalo Herrara.
'The thing is… the prize was a Honda and I only ride KTM' – Cyril Despres
Two female riders rose to the challenge of Los Andes as Maria Josefina Gardulski finished ahead of Macarena Garreton.
“I am so happy to have completed the race,” Gardulski said. “Macarena and I supported each other through the course and we feel that his is a shared triumph.”
The top prize on offer for the competition was a brand new Honda CRF 450X, and this was generously donated to the Wings for Life foundation by Cyril Despres. The Frenchman follows the work of Wings for Life closely and he also donated the bike on which he won the Dakar to the foundation a few years ago.
“The thing is,” joked Despres, “the prize was a Honda and I only ride KTM.”
The Frenchman now returns home to Andorra to put the finishing touches on his assault on this year’s Rallye Dakar. Ahead of his return to South America, he plans to spend at least one week at Red Bull’s DTC Training Centre in Austria.
See more at the official Red Bull Los Andes website (please note that the site is in Spanish).
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